Chapter 302 The Navy Competition Begins Quietly

In the North American Naval Station Command of the British Royal Navy, the new commander, John Fisher, a fighter of the British Imperial Navy, is lying on the table and writing and drawing, seemingly completely ignoring the mountains of documents next to him.

Even if the door of the office was suddenly pushed open, he didn't even blink his eyelids.

"Oh God, John, you are a noble nobleman. At least you should keep your personal tidy." As soon as William White opened the door, he was shocked by the messy scene in front of him and quickly fanned it in front of his nose with gloves.

"Your Excellency William, you are really here! God, it's so nice to see you here. John Fisher raised his head and suddenly found that it was William White, the ship design master, who appeared in front of him. He quickly threw down his pen and rushed up.

"Well, John, if you treat me here, I swear I'll take the boat back immediately." William White pointed to the messy office with a smile and joked.

"Oh, leave it alone. This should be moldy. Don't talk about you. I don't like it either." John Fisher waved his hand and didn't even want to close the door of the office, so he dragged William White, who came from afar, to the cafe outside the building.

When the fragrant Cuban coffee was served on the table, William White looked at his friend with straw-like hair and smiled, "John, what's wrong with you? You are now the commander of the North American and West Indian Theater of the Royal British Navy, and there is a war in your jurisdiction. Are you busy because of the war between the United States and the West? Why did I hear that they were already negotiating when I came here?

"Have the United States and Spain negotiated?" John Fisher scratched his head and seemed to be listening to a legend.

"God!" William White almost spewed out a mouthful of coffee and said with a wry smile, "John, what's wrong with you? You are the commander here. Don't you even care about the news nearby?

"I won't care about this boring war. An outbreak and an old knight are a waste of time." John Fisher waved his hand and said carelessly, "As long as I can guarantee British sugar and cigars, I don't care who ruled Cuba."

William White was very clear about the temper of the former Third Minister of the Navy, the most outstanding artillery expert in the British Imperial Navy. He smiled and said, "John, you are still like this. You haven't changed at all."

"Okay." John Fisher was a little impatient and seemed to be reluctant to talk about things in his jurisdiction. He took out two cigars from his pocket: "The best Cuban cigar, you know, this is what I sent someone to buy for you in Cuba. I'm a little impatient to wait for your arrival."

William White laughed, took the wrinkled cigar, squinted his eyes, and then took out two drawings from his briefcase and put them on the table: "John, I'm very sorry to tell you that I can't do this design at all. I don't think anyone else in the world can do it!"

"Can't you do it? How is that possible!"

William White's eyes also became serious. He opened the first sketch and pointed to the triple gun on the drawing and said, "This is the first picture you gave me. The triple 12-inch gun. Judging from the sketch, this design is very good, but the Admiralty found that the triple gun is not stable, and And because the shells interfere with each other during the volley, the scattering is very serious, and the scattering is more than 800 meters at a distance of 10,000 meters.

"Eight hundred meters!" Fisher's eyes were about to stare out. There was an error of 800 meters in 10,000 meters. According to his original idea, the maximum range of 15,000 meters, the scattering would be more than 1,000 meters. If this error is used in naval warfare, it would simply kill the soldiers!

"This is impossible, impossible?"

Fisher spread out his hands and was full of disbelief. After half an hour, he recovered and asked in surprise, "Mr. William, I have seen the Battle of Micronesia with my own eyes. At that time, the distance was 10,000 meters. Their triple gun did not have such a big error, and the six-inch gun of the new cruiser also fired 10,000 meters away. The error is not very big.

"I believe your observation will not be wrong, but I still want to tell you with great regret that the triple gun is still immature. We can't install it on the latest battleship, but six inches is fine. According to the research of the navy, Li Mo imported Germany's new hoist before, and he may have put it It is applied to the six-inch naval gun, so that the rate of fire can reach five or six rounds per minute, and the density can be used to dense the error. The Admiralty is ready to build the same cruiser to experiment.

Fisher shook his head regretfully. He didn't expect that the triple gun would defeat the huge naval scientific research department, and he believed that he would never be wrong. The error of the triple eight-inch triple gun on Li Mo's first-class armored cruiser must not be so big. Does he have any special technology?

Thinking of this, Fisher immediately opened the second picture. Unfortunately, Master Li was not here, otherwise he would have laughed out loud, because Fisher's sketch was the shape of a dreadnought ship in later generations, and also the shape of the Chinese ship that had laid the keel.

"I'm afraid there's no way to do this."

William White frowned more tightly and pointed to the picture and said, "There are too many five double twelve-inch naval guns. I personally calculated the recoil. If it is fired in a slit, I'm afraid it will immediately break the deck and may even capsized the ship, so I suggest changing it to a three-seat double-linked layout, similar to that of the Germans. Brandenburg is like that.

Shattered the deck? Overturned? Fisher was even more puzzled. The smallest of several Russian-made cruisers captured by Li Mo's hand were only more than 7,000 tons, and the hull structure had been old for many years. Why could it hold two three-quarters and eight-inch naval guns? You should know that the recoil of the triple eight-inch gun is similar to that of two double twelve inches, and the displacement of 7,000 tons cannot be installed at all!

How on earth did he do it?

In an instant, Fisher's hair became more messy. He grabbed his head hard and couldn't figure out how Li Mo solved the problem of recoil and triple scattering. You know, the naval research department of the British Empire is already the best in the world. Why can't he solve the problem that a yellow-skinned man can solve?

As for the similar Brandenburg design proposed by William White, he didn't think about it at all. As an artillery expert, he knew very well how much firepower output is needed for a 10,000-meter battle. If he couldn't achieve more than eight firepower outputs per ship, it was impossible to gain an advantage.

"Is there nothing we can do? If it really doesn't work, we can go to Li Mo and buy his naval gun technology like an airship!" Fisher blushed and waved his arms excitedly. He didn't want his dream to stop like this.

"John, the Admiralty has tried your method, but Li Mo offered a price of 200 million pounds!"

"200 million pounds! Shit, why didn't he rob it!" This was obviously a sky-high price for playing tricks, which made Fisher couldn't hold back any longer. He threw away the gentleman's disguise and burst into swearing.

"I'm very sorry, John. Li Mo doesn't want to sell technology at all, and even if we are willing to pay, we can't guarantee whether we have really mastered the new gun, because we have visited the battleship he sent to the king's coronation ceremony and didn't find anything strange at all."

William White shook his head: "The Admiralty has rejected your plan. Battleships that can carry eight heavy guns cannot be achieved with our current technology, because if we want to install eight heavy guns and strengthen the keel and hull structure to offset the recoil, the displacement will definitely exceed 20,000 tons. The boiler and steam engine technology can only reach a speed of 15 knots at most, which is a slow and useless ox cart! Therefore, the Admiralty has decided to continue to build battleships with separate primary and secondary main guns.

"John." William White spewed out a white smoke and said solemnly, "I believe you and Phillipman have seen everything, but we have really tried our best, and what our country needs at present is not new warships, but quantity!"

His Excellency the Prime Minister has held three naval meetings. Everyone feels that Britain needs to face more complex competition when the Far East has gradually lost control, the Germans have expanded their navy, and even Nicola's madman is shouting to build 40 capital ships, so Britain needs to face more complex competition, so when the technology is not yet mature, choose Choosing to maintain a quantitative advantage is the only and effective choice, and I personally agree with this view very much!

The old man's star and the awesome level have all been put into the water, and the Admiralty Department has passed a new London-class order. In addition, the Duncan level has also passed the plan to move to the ship by the beginning of next year at the latest.

Of course, if you want to have the opportunity to build such a new warship, or even ask the navy to allocate funds to build a test ship, it is not impossible, but here is a premise!"

"What's the premise?" Hearing that things were going around, Fisher, who was frustrated, suddenly got up and straightened up. It's very simple." William White smiled and spit out a cigarette ring: "Return to the Admiralty and become the First Secretary of the Navy!"

First Secretary of the Navy?

Fisher sat down again. It will take several years for Prince Badenberg to retire. How can it be his turn to become the First Secretary of the Navy without making a big mistake!

Depression comes from every cell of Fisher. Even William White can feel the frustration in him, and he can't help sighing in the bottom of his heart. He knows Fisher's surname very well. This is a person who is willing to give his life for the navy. Unfortunately, his idea is too advanced to be realized at this moment.

But these two of Britain's best hulls and naval guns do not know that they are far away in Ryukyu. Master Li's face is full of putty and can't wait to laugh up at the sky.

After months of intense work, after putting aside the complicated government affairs, he seemed to have found the enthusiasm for work in his previous life. He came to the dock regularly every day, and then drilled in and out with the designers and technicians, watched the keel laid one by one, and finally dragged his tired body home to enjoy his lover's dinner.

The only difference is that there used to be only one person at home, and he often went on business trips and was not at home, but now there are four people.

In the shipyard, four newly renovated Duke-class battleships have left a few months ago to join the active service. After continuous multi-level maintenance and modification experience, coupled with the Jinghai plan of that year, several major shipyards belonging to Li Mo have trained a large number of skilled workers. They may not be as good as those of Britain, France and other countries. Mr. Yang came, but as a series of military and civilian ships such as defense-class destroyers and four large oil and water supply ships began to be built, they are becoming more and more proficient and confident.

At this moment, the new Chinese ship plan to be launched is another promotion for these technical workers. Except for a few foreign technicians who have been strictly reviewed and voluntarily moved into the shipyard collective dormitory and accept strict management and will never leave, most of the selected elite Chinese in this plan. Technician. mechanic

When all the power in Master Li's hand was concentrated to one point, he was completely shocked, and even he was shocked. Although he could not reach the demon-level speed of the four-month sea test in Britain, there was no problem to put this Chinese ship carrying his hope into the sea test in a year and a half!

Because at this moment, a huge battleship with a displacement of nearly 20,000 tons in the huge dock in front of him has basically shown its outline!

"Young master, the United States and Spain have reached a ceasefire agreement in Portsmouth, England. Spain has promised to transfer Cuba and Puerto Rico to the United States, but Maaio refused to accept the Cuban agreement without Cuba's participation, and they have exchanged fire with the United States [[***] team!"

"In addition, when I went to England to participate in the reading ship-style Antarctic Star telegram, I didn't find the existence of the new high-speed ship you mentioned. They have seen the destroyer Viper, and the maximum speed has only reached 26 knots."

"German Emperor Wilhelm II revised the naval bill again ten days ago. He said that he would increase the current speed of capital ships to the size of five ships per year."

"The British Parliament has passed a resolution to increase naval military spending to ensure that the size of the British navy must be large enough to overwhelm the joint forces of Germany and Russia, and the number of battleships must exceed 60% of the total of the two countries!"

"The U.S. Congress also passed a bill five days ago, saying that two additional battleships would be built to supplement the previous losses, and to have a navy of twenty battleships by 1910."

"In addition, two American battleships were delivered this month ago. We guessed that they should be deployed to the Pacific to defend us. The remaining two were also launched yesterday. This month, Germany launched a battleship and two armored cruisers, and Russia launched three main forces. There are two ships in France, one in Italy, one in Austria and Hungary, and six capital ships in Britain!"

A series of intelligence and news made Master Li more unstoppable. A larger and more tragic naval competition finally began, but this was not beyond his expectation. After he came to this world, broke the inherent balance, and showed a new naval battle model through two naval battles, this round of steel The competition has been pushed to the most **!

And the outline in front of you will ensure that you will continue to stand on the commanding heights!

Unfortunately, he had to leave his beloved shipyard temporarily at this time and could not continue to see the Chinese ship grow little by little with his own eyes, because he received an urgent telegram from Lushun.

The telegram brought a piece of news he had been looking forward to for a long time.

According to the inside report, three days later, that is, on April 23 of the 24th year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (June 11, 1898), Emperor Guangxu will issue the famous "Ming Dingguo Yes" edict, opening up the last opportunity of innovation in the Qing Dynasty, and also announcing the official beginning of the famous Wuxu Reform.

The time, place and history are completely similar, as if history has returned to the original path.

Next time, after Li Mo contacted Chen Ping and Li Enfu and others by radio, he immediately announced that the three infantry divisions of the army stationed in Lushun, a cavalry division and a marine regiment were on alert. All the soldiers canceled their vacation and announced that they would conduct annual routine exercises.

Simidly, he took two Duke-class battleships of the First Fleet of the Navy stationed in Ryukyu, two Arctic star battleships and two Vladivostok-class heavy patrols to return to Lushun...

(to be continued)